Gunshot on Diagonal Street; neighbor speaks out

ST. GEORGE — Police responded to a home on Diagonal Street in St. George Wednesday after receiving reports of shots fired.

Those believed to be involved in the shooting had been speaking loudly since approximately 5:30 a.m., Thomas Denke, a neighbor living downstairs from where the shot was fired, said. As time progressed, Denke said, he and his fiancé heard the loud voices turn to shouting, threats and then violence.

“I heard some pushing, maybe even a scuffle, and then somebody shouted at the other person like, ‘I’m going to tear your head off,’” Denke said. “And then, bam, just a gunshot.”

After the shot was fired, Denke said, he heard people in the unit above quickly exit the apartment, get in a car and leave the scene. Minutes later, officers from the St. George Police department arrived and spoke with Denke regarding what he had heard.

Officers dressed in SWAT-style gear and carrying large shields forcibly entered the top floor residence but found no one there, Denke said.

At the scene, St. George Police Sgt. Rich Triplett said he could confirm that while an ambulance had arrived at the scene, no one was transported or believed to have been injured in the incident. Further comment was deferred to the Police Department’s public information officer and has not been provided as this report is published.

By 8:30 a.m., assisting agencies had cleared the scene, and business in the community continued as usual as the police continued investigating the residence and surrounding area.

It is not uncommon for the people living upstairs to be loud, Denke said. There are people coming and going quite often, but there hasn’t been an incident like this before, he said.

This is a developing story and will be updated as additional information is obtained from the St. George Police Department.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2015, all rights reserved.

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About the Author

Devan Chavez began working at St. George News soon after graduating from Southern Utah University in 2014 with a degree in Communication with an emphasis in Broadcast Journalism. Devan has traveled to multiple countries on humanitarian service and study abroad trips. He enjoys learning about new cultures and sharing ideas. He hopes to use his skills to spread awareness of issues and aid the less fortunate. In his free time He recently returned to SUU and is working towards his Master's in Professional Communication. Devan enjoys photography, videography, cycling around town, loud concerts and training in muay thai kickboxing.